Fostering employment for people with intellectual disability: the evidence to date

This report brings together a range of evidence to guide the development of Inclusion Australia’s Everyone Can Work website, created as part of the Employment First (E1) project. It outlines what research shows about the factors that influence employment outcomes for people with intellectual disability. The evidence is organised logically, beginning with an overview of the key factors, moving through programs that have been shown to effectively support people with intellectual disability into work, and concluding with what is known about outcomes in open employment.

The research highlights clear mechanisms that help individuals with intellectual disability gain employment. Successful approaches combine highly individualised strategies—tailored to each person’s strengths, needs, and circumstances—with structured programs that provide supported opportunities and pathways into work.

To inform the website, Inclusion Australia partnered with the Centre for Social Impact Swinburne, which examined what the research says about what helps people with intellectual disability find and keep jobs in open employment. This included looking at the role of family and friends, the impact of mainstream and special education, the importance of work experience, and the transitions from school to work and from school to post‑secondary education.

The findings from this research were then used to create the plain English and Easy Read content featured on the Everyone Can Work website, ensuring the information is accessible and grounded in evidence.